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BOISE, Idaho - The Idaho Education Association is trying to push through a voter referendum to repeal the first two education bills recently passed by the legislature.

IEA President Sherri Wood says a referendum is a way for people to take their ideas to the voters. It's also a way for citizens to get rid of what they think are bad ideas, in this case superintendent Tom Luna's first two education bills.

"Basically this so-called reform is nothing more than sending the responsibility to the districts to say we get to cut a whole bunch of things in order to fund technology and a pay-for-performance plan," says Wood.

The IEA needs 47,000 signatures to get the education bills referendum on the ballot in November 2012. The first signature to get the ball rolling came from Boise parent, Mike Lanza.

"So far it appears that a majority of Senate members have not been listening to the public about this. We think that they should. We believe that they know in their hearts that the public is opposed to this and they should reject it for that reason," says Lanza.

Traditionally, referendums face long odds to get on the ballot, but Wood says in her 34 years in the Idaho education system she has never seen the public so fired up over an issue.

Wood says if the legislature passes the third education bill they will try to send that one to a referendum as well.